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TheLostCityOfTambora

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 
COMPUTER READING:

The Lost City of Tambora

The Lost City of Tambora

The lost island of Atlantis is a famous story. However, few people know of the lost city of Tambora. Unlike Atlantis, this was a real place on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. It disappeared completely almost 200 years ago when a giant volcano erupted nearby. The explosion sent dangerous gases and pieces of volcanic rock flying almost 43 kilometers into the air. It covered the entire area. All 92,000 of the city's people were thought to have died.

Tambora disappeared in 1815. But it was only found again in 2004, when scientists decided to do research in the area. They were able to uncover its history by studying the things these people left behind. Scientists reported finding many bronze objects and concluded that the people of Tambora must have been quite rich.

This natural event was fatal for those in other parts of the world too, killing another 200,000 people. How did that happen? The volcanic gases rose into the air and created a very large, dark cloud which covered the sky for months. 1816 was called "the year without a summer" because the cloud simply stopped the sun from reaching the earth. Farmers couldn't grow enough food for everyone, and the cold weather caused many to become sick and die. Much more than a single city was lost in this unfortunate event.
 

 1. 

The main purpose of this passage is to ____.
a.
discuss how a volcano works
b.
explain the reason for "the year without a summer"
c.
show how the Tambora eruption caused many problems
d.
explain why scientists took so long to find Tambora
 

 2. 

Why does the writer compare the cities of Atlantis and Tambora?
a.
They both had rich and successful businesspeople.
b.
They both disappeared completely.
c.
They are both true stories.
d.
Scientists are busy studying both cities.
 

 3. 

Which of these statements is NOT true?
a.
No one lived through the Tambora eruption.
b.
Scientists were looking for Tambora in 2004.
c.
Many bronze objects survived the eruption.
d.
The city of Tambora was full of rich, successful people.
 

 4. 

Which of the following is NOT a cause of death for 200,000 people?
a.
the direct effect of the volcanic eruption
b.
the shortage of food
c.
the cold temperatures
d.
the spread of disease and illnesses
 

 5. 

In the second sentence in paragraph 3, that refers to ____.
a.
the researchers who studied Tambora
b.
the large, dark cloud
c.
the death of 92,000 people
d.
the death of 200,000 people
 

 6. 

In the last sentence of paragraph 3, what does unfortunate mean?
a.
sad
b.
exciting
c.
interesting
d.
strange
 

True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
 
 
Refer to "The Lost City of Tambora" to answer the questions.
 

 7. 

Tambora disappeared in 2004.
 

 8. 

A total of 92,000 people were killed because of the eruption.
 

 9. 

Bronze was considered an expensive material back in that time.
 

 10. 

In the first sentence of paragraph 3, the word fatal means "causing death."
 



 
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